INTELLIGENT MENDING.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 48, 20 November 1907, Page 3

INTELLIGENT MENDING.

Intelligent mending is the secret of all thrift There is a kind of patching that is th- reverse of intelligent or thrifty. For instance, it is foolish to mend things when they are obviously past their days of usefulness. Intelligent mending is also the secret of dressing well on an infinitesimal income. The .Frenchwoman owes her exquisite neatness and daintiness largely to her thrifty habit of taking the stitch in time, removh.%' every spot as soon as it appears, and putting away her clothes carefully. The woman who buys with thought, and who makes her garments wear for ages and look well as long as they hold together, has more money for culture and amusement. '

The woman who always looks well dressed, although you know her income is about half of yours, and yours coycrs no frills, is the one who knows the secret of-'never Jetting auything go to rags. She mends tho instant the need appears. Threaded needles are kept in a cushion beside her dressingmirror. A broken stitch in her glove is mended in a moment's time. The braid that is beginning to fray is run baok and fortii' with thread to hold it until further weir and more leisure enable her to rip it off and turn or replace it. The: tiny three cornered tear is brought together over a bit of adhesive tissue sold at ,the notion counters for just such patching. Press flat with a warm iron, it defies detection. Is a thin spot detected? She finds a piec'j of similar or preferably a thinner material of the same colour and sets it back of the spot. Then with ravellings of tho goods she darns the spot tiny stitches. Good woollen underwear which is worn n spots may be cut down for children's wear when patching is no longer feasible. Watch for broken stitches and thin spots. It is i good plan to examine such clothing before sending it to the laundry, and to draw brokou stitches together. If allowed to through the washing without mending, a difficult hole is almost suro to result. Thin spots should bo reinforced with good pieces of old underwear and carefully darned over. In patching, care is necessary in the choice of material. . To mend old goods with new is disastrous. The strong new patch tears oirt the old material and your labour goes lor nothing. Patch old things with half-worn pieces. It is a good plan, when making children's (Ircsees, to sew a piece of tho goods on the licit and have it wnshed with tho garment. When it is needed for patching it will be in the same state of wear and colour as the rest. Evory household ought to possess a small kit of carpenter's tools. The nail in time is just as effective in prolonging the usefulness of household furniture or tho lifo of a house, as the stitch in time is in saving garments or household linen.